The Reading / Listening - Mouse Plague - Level 0

Mice are causing a lot of damage in Australia. There is a mouse plague because of a big harvest on farms. This is a big headache for farmers. The mice caused problems for a prison west of Sydney. It moved 420 prisoners to other prisons because of health and safety reasons. It will take 10 days to clean and repair the prison.

Mice have damaged many buildings. They are a danger to health. They have also damaged electrical wires. This is a danger to buildings. A spokesperson said the health of staff and prisoners is very important. He will make sure the prison is cleaned and repaired. He will look at ways to stop future plagues.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Mouse Plague - Level 1,  Mouse Plague - Level 2   or  Mouse Plague - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7307607/nsw-jail-evacuated-because-of-mice-plague/
  • https://www.smh.com.au/environment/sustainability/everywhere-s-bad-farmers-eye-long-campaign-against-mouse-plague-20210607-p57yor.html
  • https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2021-06-23/bromadiolone-mouse-plague-poison-rejected-for-use/100218864


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. a big harvest
  2. This is a big headache
  3. The mice caused
  4. a prison west
  5. It moved 420 prisoners
  6. health and safety
  7. It will take 10
  8. repair the
  1. reasons
  2. of Sydney
  3. prison
  4. for farmers
  5. days to clean
  6. on farms
  7. to other prisons
  8. problems

Paragraph 2

  1. Mice have damaged many
  2. They are a danger to
  3. They have also damaged
  4. This is a danger
  5. the health of staff and prisoners is
  6. He will make
  7. the prison is cleaned
  8. ways to stop future
  1. electrical wires
  2. plagues
  3. very important
  4. health
  5. and repaired
  6. buildings
  7. sure
  8. to buildings

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Mice are (1) ___________________ of damage in Australia. There is a mouse (2) ___________________ a big harvest on farms. This is a (3) ___________________ farmers. The mice caused problems for a (4) ___________________ Sydney. It moved 420 prisoners to other prisons because of (5) ___________________ reasons. It will take 10 days to (6) ___________________ the prison.

Mice (7) ___________________ buildings. They are a (8) ___________________. They have also damaged electrical wires. This is a (9) ___________________. A spokesperson said the health of staff and prisoners (10) ___________________. He will make sure the prison is (11) ___________________. He will look at ways to (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

MicearecausingalotofdamageinAustralia.Thereisamouseplaguebec
auseofabigharvestonfarms.Thisisabigheadacheforfarmers.Themice
causedproblemsforaprisonwestofSydney.Itmoved420prisonerstoot
herprisonsbecauseofhealthandsafetyreasons.Itwilltake10daystocle
anandrepairtheprison.Micehavedamagedmanybuildings.Theyaread
angertohealth.Theyhavealsodamagedelectricalwires.Thisisadanger
tobuildings.Aspokespersonsaidthehealthofstaffandprisonersisveryi
mportant.Hewillmakesuretheprisoniscleanedandrepaired.Hewillloo
katwaystostopfutureplagues.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Back to the top

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You